Like this:

Just do the research. Start at http://www.NORML.org or similar. Or do web search and keep an open mind.

From NORML.org:

“Recent scientific research has informed us that medical marijuana access is associated with reduced levels of opioid-related abuse, hospitalization, and mortality. It’s time for our federal policy to follow science, evidence, and common sense.

For too long, federal marijuana policy has rejected the reality presented by basic scientific facts. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Internal Medicine reports that “states with medical cannabis laws had a 24.8 percent lower mean annual opioid overdose mortalityrate compared with states without medical cannabis laws.”

The opioid crisis demands real solutions, not empty rhetoric. If the Trump administration is serious about addressing this epidemic, then it is time for them to acknowledge what works: medical marijuana.”

Like this:

Never take another shower…without doing 20 push-ups before your shower! In addition, each night before bed, do 20 push-ups. Each morning right when you wake up, do 20 push-ups.

With an average of 1 shower per day, this routine forces you to do at least 60 push-ups each day. So what, says the haters?! You can’t make changes to your body by doing just 60 push-ups!

False!

60 push-ups per day is roughly 1800 push-ups per month. That’s 18,000 push-ups in just 10 months. Anyone who thinks that EIGHTEEN-THOUSAND PUSH-UPS will not have a positive impact on one’s body is kidding themselves. Haters gonna hate.

Don’t let the haters get you down. Set yourself a simple reminder and get into a routine. It’s easy, takes virtually no time, and WILLHAVE a POSITIVEIMPACT on your core in addition to adding a layer of structure and routine to your life.

You know what else is a good habit to pick up in the morning? A quick :10-:15 minute podcast from very smart people talking about very smart things going on in present times. NPR offers just that with their podcast, Up First. Along with my WAKE UP! playlist, I try to listen to Up First early each day to keep caught up on some of the most important affairs of the day. Give Up First a try – you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

Like this:

It seems that Trump’s leaked 2005 tax return might be legit and may be the only glimpse we get into the private affairs of a “free” human being.

Tax day has come and gone and what a surprise, the president didn’t release his tax returns. Good for him. After all, he won a presidential election without releasing his tax returns and clearly he dngaf about tradition. I can respect that because a lot of the time people just do things the way it’s been without giving any consideration to why.

I do not understand why people continue to complain about the president’s tax returns. It’s as if people do not realize that every single politician who has ever lived in the history of all civilization has done everything in their power to legally pay the least amount in tax as humanly possible. We all should be doing the same.

Whether I’m at my desk, doing chores around the house or in the middle of a long drive I am a big fan of positive distractions. I typically listen to a podcast or to YouTube Red and quickly find myself immersed in the topic of the day.

Most of the time I default to Dan Carlin’s ‘Hardcore History‘, simply because the show is so good it’s not fair. That led me to Carlin’s other show, ‘Common Sense‘, which readers of this site will know I’m a big big fan of just by the name. Give Dan a listen and if you like his stuff as much as I do, consider donating or subscribing. I’m happy to ship him $3/month for the amazing content he provides.

Once I got caught up on episodes of ‘Common Sense’ I couldn’t help but to search for similar shows to stimulate my political curiosity. I discovered Politico’s Dan Diamond hosting a show called ‘Pulse Check‘ and I could not be happier. Specifically with the March 30, 2017 episode featuring United States Representative Charlie Dent (co-chair Center Right Tuesday Group) and United States Senator Susan Collins, who has helped introduce a bill called the Patient Freedom Act as a comprehensive replacement slash compromise to Obamacare.

It’s this understanding that gives me hope when I hear from people like Diamond, Dent and Collins. Diamond sounds like a level-headed and unbiased moderator, which is a rare thing in the days of fake news. Dent was so impressive in his answers I was surprised that Collins could actually impress me more. She sounds like an intelligent, reasonable person who understands economics, health care and common sense. She has real world ideas for solutions toward what should be the ultimate goal: to easily and efficiently keep people alive and healthy.

Which leads me to the healthcare question of the day: what is the best way to keep people alive and healthy? While insurance might be a part of the answer, I’m not convinced that insurance is the end all be all. After all, insurance is not the same as health. I’d prefer to be healthy vs. insured!

I wonder if Collins and other forward thinking leaders have considered a system in which the insurance industry is left to the free market and altruism is entered into the equation? I do not believe that altruism can be legislated, but if society’s best and brightest (and wealthiest) were allowed to make a tax-deductible donation to a fund that literally pays hospital bills for those who cannot afford it, I believe the funds would come pouring in. Citizens who can afford insurance will likely still buy it (and if it’s a function of the free market, prices should drop, especially if companies follow Collins’ advice and publish their rates!) and those of us who do not have insurance do not have to fear for their health.

Clearly the solution is not this simple, as the system could be easily be abused as described. In addition, there are many other healthcare holes to plug, not the least of which is the pharmaceutical system that allows big pharma to monopolize medicine and lobby for their best interests. These two things are the exact opposite of the stated goal: to easily and efficiently keep people alive and healthy.

The overlords people who have asked for the task of fixing the current broken system know they do not have a simple task at hand and should not be making excuses. Losers make excuses. Winners find solutions. So find one.

I’ve been thinking about ASI a lot lately and have come to the conclusion that it is very likely that non-human artificial super intelligence already exists. Elon musk agrees.

I have not seen many people posing this stance: when ASI is (was) born, why assume humankind would ever be the wiser? Could not an artificial super intelligence “fool” humanity by simply never revealing itself? One cannot be controlled or threatened if no one knows of your existence.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” – Verbal (The Usual Suspects)

Can a human being commit a crime against their self? We know that one can hurt their self, purposely or on accident. I’m not talking about physical pain, I’m talking about punishable crime where only one human being is involved. Let’s take a look.

By definition, a crime is an action or omission that constitutes an offense of law that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.

So what is law?

By definition, law is a system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

So crime = breaking the law. Duh. Most people learn this at a young age. Some still don’t understand it. However, very few question ‘Why am I not the sole maker of laws that govern my body, my land and my belongings?’ The unfortunate and simple answer is usually that the masses of a “particular country or community” get to decide what the law is (they make the rules.) In the USA, it’s these 545 people.

Since others make the rules that govern crimes against the self, by definition the self cannot also make his own personal rules. Therefore the idea that the self has the freedom to do as he pleases on his land with his property is fictional. We know this because we’ve already established that others make the law and the self can be found in violation of the law, even on his own property causing no harm to anyone or any thing.

In a simple and inspiring way, the authors of this book opened my eyes to a way for me to break life down to just a few areas of focus. The result of this awakening has led to numerous positive changes in my life! One of the most important: The teachings of The Minimalists have inspired me to drastically change what I put into my body and to focus on my health like never before.

Not ready to dive-in to a new book just yet? Consider this: The authors break down ways we can maximize our short time on this planet into five categories. This makes it simple and easy to focus and understand. They consider five dimensions of living a meaningful life to be:

Health

Relationships

Passions

Growth

Contributions

I could not come close to expanding on these dimensions as well as the authors do, which I why I continually listen to their writings and highly recommend anyone seeking an improvement in their own mental and physical health to do the same. If you have a negative outlook on minimalism, toss it out the window and allow yourself to have an open mind. Don’t allow yourself to be a cliché by literally judging a book by its cover!

It is impossible to overstate the importance of mental health. Therapy can be a huge help in as little as one session. Before therapy, however, check out this book. For < $10 your life will be drastically improved.